Overhead trolley.



UNITED STATES l PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE H. RUSSELL, OF PITTSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

OVERHEAD TRO LLEY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 703,476, dated July 1, 1902.

Application iiled January 27,1902. Serial No. 91.431. (No model.)

To callan/hom, t may concern:

Be it known that L-GEORGE H. RUSSELL, a citizenof the United-States, residing at Pittsiield, in the county of Berkshire and State of Massachusetts, have invented a 'new and useful Overhead Trolley, of which thefollowing is a specification. Y K

My invention is an improved trolley-wheelsupportin g device, and relates particularly to the overhead system, the object being to provide an attachment to thev harp for supporting the wheel and to so arrange the attachment that the Wheel maybe easily and conveniently removed and a new one substituted as occasion demands.

With these objects in View my invention also consistsin the peculiar construction of the harp and` the novel; combination and arrangement of the trolley-wheel-supporting plates, as will be fully described in the following specilication and pointed out in the claims, reference being had to the drawings, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of the trolley harp or fork having myimprovement applied.

Fig. 2 is a sectional View of the same on'about` the line 2 2 of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation talren about on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4L is a detail view in perspective of one of the journal-plates.

In carrying out my invention I employ the general style of harp A, which is fastened to thepoleor mast Ain the usual way. The inner faces of the bifurcatedv portions Az'of the harp are provided with dovetailed grooves A3, in each of which is adapted to be held dovetailed journal'- plates B, in which is mounted the axle O, upon which revolves the trolley-Wheel D. I prefer tohave the wheel revolve upon theax'leand the latter held stationary, so I provide one of the plates B with a non-circular aperture B, in which iits a non-circular headO, arranged upon one end of the aXle,-and the opposite end of the axle is of the same diameter as the body portionV and fits a correspondingly-shaped aperturev B2, formed in the opposite plate.

Each plate B has its outer lower surface beveled, as shown at B3, and to this beveled portion is securely held a liat spring E, `whose upper or free edge terminates in an inwardlybent section E', that is adapted to normally rest against the upper surface of the cut-out portions or openings A4, formed in each side of the harp. By this arrangement it will be seen that when the parts are assembled, as shown in Fig; 2, the wheel is securely and firmly locked in position, and in order to facilitate the adjustment of the plates and also to provide an' easy means of removing them I recess the plates B, asY shown at B4, the said recesses being adapted to receive the free endsof the springs, so as to allow the plates to be easily and conveniently removed.

By providing the beveled portions at the lower ends of the plates I am enabled to employ straight flat springs, which avoid the necessity of curving them should the plates be made perfectly1 straight, and by this form of spring I obtain a much'stronger and firmer locking means. A

It will thus be'seen that I provide an exceedingly cheap and simple arrangement for supporting the trolley-wheel and which requires but a short time for removal and replacing, as the occasion often demands, and it will be readily understood that it is only necessary to press the springs E within the recesses B4 in order to remove the plates and wheel, and in adjusting them into position the plates are inserted in the grooves and pushed down until the springs pass the edge of the opening, when they will automatically spring outwardly, and thereby firmly hold the plates in position.

To enable the wheel to have a slight lateral movement upon the axle, so as to readily accommodate itself to any unevenness in the vtrolley-wire, I make the wheel of a slightly-less Width than the distance between the plates and provide the harp with a flat U-shaped spring S, whose free ends straddle or encircle the'aXley and bear against the sides of the wheel, as shown. By this arrangement the wheel isnormally held in a central position, but readily allows a slight lateral movement for the'purpse above stated. l

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a trolley-wheel support, the combination of the harp, plates slidably held therein, an axle journaled in the plates and havinga wheel held thereon, and means carried by the IOO plates for locking them to the harp, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a trolley-Wheel support, a harp having grooves arranged upon its inner faces and openings arranged therein, plates slidably arranged in the said grooves, an axle carried by the plates and having a trolley-Wheel mounted thereon, and spring locking members carried by the plates and adapted to engage the said harp, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a trolley-wheel support, the combination of the harp having openings arranged in the bifurcated portions, and dovetailed grooves arranged in the inner surfaces thereof, plates arranged in the said grooves, one of Which being provided with a non-circular aperture, and the opposite plate with a circular aperture, an axle held in the said apertures, one end thereof having a non-circular head arranged thereon that is adapted to fit the non-circular aperture in the said plate, a wheel revolubly mounted on the said axle, and spring locking members carried by the said plates,the free ends of which being adapted for engagement with the bifurcated portions of the harp, substantially as shown and described.

4. In a trolley-wheel support, the combination of the harp having openings arranged in the bifurcated sections and dovetailed grooves arranged in the inner faces thereof, plates arranged in the said grooves, and having their lower outer faces beveled and also provided with recesses, spring locking members held to the beveled portion of the plates at one cud and having their free ends terminating in inwardly-bent portions, an axle oarried by the plates and having a Wheel mounted thereon, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. In a trolley-Wheel support, the combination of the harp having dovetailed grooves arranged iu the inner faces thereof, plates op erating in the said grooves, an axle carried by the said plates and having a Wheel mounted thereon, the said plates having recesses formed in their outer faces, the lower outer edge of the plates being beveled, a spring locking member secured at one end to the beveled portion of each plate, the free end of each locking member engaging the said harp, the said ends being adapted to be forcibly projected into the recesses of the said plates, as and for the purpose set forth.

GEORGE II. RUSSELL.

Witnesses:

MARY DOLBY, EDGAR M. WOOD. 

